Thank goodness for your dishwasher! Can you imagine life without it? It takes the pain out of doing the dishes and gives you time to put your feet up. But don’t forget, you still need to clean the appliance from time to time to keep it working at its best and to prevent any nasty odours developing.
Let this handy guide take you through what you need to do to keep you dishwasher clean.
01.
Get your tools ready
You need a sponge, a few pieces of dry cloth, a toothbrush, a running tap, dish soap or some other non-abrasive cleaning product. Don’t even think about using metal aluminium sponges or rough, heavy-duty cleaning agents as these will do little more than causing scratches and even corrosion on your appliance.
02.
Prepare the appliance for cleaning
You’ll need to clean the inside and the outside of your dishwasher to call it a thorough cleaning. The first thing to do is to take out all the removable parts. Pull the lower basket out and set it aside.
Release the upper propeller by twisting the fastener anti-clockwise. The lower propeller just needs to be pulled up.
Next, remove the drain filter and the thin metal grate covering the housing.
03.
Clean all the pieces
Gather the propellers, the filter and the grate and rinse them all under the tap. You can use a drop of dish soap if you like.
The most important part of your dishwasher to clean is the drain filter. This is where all the food particles from dirty dishes end up. If you don’t clean it regularly, dirt build-up will cause bad odours and your dishwasher will not be able to clean as effectively.
Next on the list are the propellers or the spray arms. It’s crucial that the nozzles on the propellers be free from obstruction. Be sure to let water run through the spray arm nozzles to make sure they’re not blocked.
Pat the components dry with a kitchen towel or let them air-dry before replacing them.
Depending on how heavily you use your dishwasher, you should do this routine at least once every two to three months to keep your dishwasher working properly and free of odours. Even if you skip the other parts, filter cleaning is a must for a hygienic and fresh dishwasher.
Beko EverClean™ Filters need up to 4 times less cleaning. A sprinkler system sprays water onto the filter from within, cleaning it from inside out.
04.
Give the inner surfaces a wipe
Use a soft damp cloth and wipe the inner walls of your dishwasher. Make sure to dry them completely before reassembling the pieces. Moisture trapped inside your dishwasher will cause nasty odours. And you know where odours come from: bacteria!
05.
Clean the outside surfaces (for freestanding dishwashers)
If your dishwasher is a freestanding one, you should give the outside surfaces a good wipe too. Cleaning the outside of your dishwasher is fairly straightforward.
As with most other appliances, you can simply use a damp cloth or the soft side of a sponge with warm water and non-abrasive cleaning products. Dry the surfaces fully to prevent water marks.
06.
Run the self-cleaning programme regularly
Most dishwashers feature a self-cleaning programme to clean any nooks and crannies that a regular cleaning can’t get to. Also, it uses the advantage of heat to kill any bacteria inside the appliance all thorough to the filter and drain system.
Remember not to use regular dishwasher detergent with this programme. Either run it without detergent, or with commercially available self-cleaning agents.
Cleaning your dishwasher regularly is more than just good housekeeping. First of all, if your dishwasher is filthy itself, it can’t put out a proper cleaning performance. Also, keeping appliances clean is one of the first rules to a longer-lasting product.